Increase in cases across the country
The surge of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in the United States are rising at a skyrocketing rate.
The United States reports a daily seven-day average of 111,175 this past week, a 59% increase from two weeks earlier.
This also includes a shattering record of 131,420 cases on Saturday, Nov. 7. On Sunday, Nov. 8, there were 103,657 cases recorded.
With the virus surging across the whole nation, the U.S is counting more than 100,000 cases a day
In the past 10 days, more than one million new cases were reported. Overall, the U.S has reported more than 10 million COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began.
As for right now, cases are increasing in more than 40 states and territories. We continue to see spikes everywhere, even though COVID-19 cases are mightly increasing in the midwest states such as Dakotas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Montana, Wyoming, and Iowa.
Why are cases increasing?
There is not a precise reason why cases are increasing.
One attributing factor has been the resumption of schools and colleges. According to a preprint published Sep. 23, colleges that reopened for in-person instruction were linked with 3,000 new cases of COVID-19 a day in the U.S. This factor continues to contribute to the surge in new cases. The mixture of people – students moving from one place to another leads to an increase in the risk of spreading the disease. Student’s individual choices off-campus are a reason for the surge.
Another factor has been the “pandemic fatigue.” After nearly nine months of constant stress, and worrying about the virus, “People are tired of being cooped up, and they may not be using the best judgment at all times,” said Dr. Aaron Glatt, chairman of the department of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau in New York.
As the pandemic continues, some people are getting tired of taking all the precautions, and the constant stress. Before the year 2020, the general population was not washing hands frequently, wearing masks, and taking all other precautions. Now, this is the “new normal,” however, it’s difficult for people to adhere to something new.
All these factors translate to more social gatherings with families and friends, etc. During social occasions and gatherings, people are taking off their masks, and letting down their guard. Most importantly, people are not socially distancing.
According to a study from Stanford University, the campaign rallies for President Trump have resulted in at least 30,000 new COVID-19 cases, and 700 death since June.
Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House coronavirus task force, states that indoor gatherings as the weather gets colder are driving the recent increase in coronavirus.
As the cases continue to surge, experts are still recommending to take all the necessary precautions.
What can we expect over the next months?
The coming holidays – Thanksgiving and Christmas – are events that have the potential to increase the transmission of the virus. These two holidays are already stressing public health officials. The potential to be around a lot of different people for an extended time period is extremely risky.
One major factor is the change in season. Both of the holidays are in the winter session when the virus is more likely to spread. Dr. Anthony Fauci instructed Americans to be ready to “hunker down” through the autumn and winter. “It’s not going to be easy,” Fauci continued.
The holidays are still far, however, we continue to see early spikes in cases. Healthy officials highly recommend ensuring proper precautions in places and being socially distanced.
With the risk of an exponential surge in new cases and hospitalization, we’ll be facing a dark and deadly winter.
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